Snow’s done, but the cleanup isn’t — Watch out for icy roads

TRENTON — Much of New Jersey is shoveling out from Saturday's snowfall, which left as much as 10 inches of snow in South Jersey — though only about an inch in the far north.

The Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike and other highways are down to mostly bare pavement, but the shoulders are not completely cleared. Drivers will find varying conditions on secondary roads and side streets, which can change from snow-covered to bare pavement in a matter of just a few yards.

Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy in a tweet advised driver to also allow extra time for Sunday travel. "Many of the roads are icy and numerous side roads have not been plowed yet," Mastronardy tweeted.

About 500 pieces of equipment were on the road Sunday morning for cleanup, according to Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Schapiro.

"Crews were out overnight patrolling and spreading or plowing where necessary working on ramps and shoulders," Schapiro said.

"It good to remind people that conditions do change quickly so they should still be cautions when they're driving. With windy weather you get snow drifts and snow blowing back onto the roadway that can cause them to be slick," Schapiro said.

New Jersey State Police said responded to calls for 318 crashes and 536 motorist aids in their patrol areas.

Several Ocean County churches reported cancellations or changes to their Sunday services. The Ocean County Library System posted that all branches are closed on Sunday.

Icy weather was a factor a fire at the Lakeview Apartments in Gloucester Township that displaced 50 residents according to Gloucester Township Police. The fire started in building 72 of the complex on Lower Landing Road, according to police, who said OEM from Camden and Gloucester counties along with the Red Cross assisted the residents.

Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said that the storm was "tricky and highly unusual" to forecast, which made for a low accumulation prediction until the snow started to fall.

According to the National Weather Service, the highest amounts were 10 inches in Port Norris in Cumberland County, 9 inches in Lanoka Harbor and 8.5 inches in Estell Manor and Barnegat. At the other side of the scale, only 1 to 3 inches fell in most of Morris, Mercer. Hunterdon and Sussex counties.

Bitter cold settled in for Sunday with temperatures in the single numbers only reaching the 20s.